The Christmas tree Cake Recipe - This unusual Christmas cake uses simple jabot style folded frills to decorate the top of the cake. Shaped like Christmas trees, they are edged with delicate piping. The side of the cake is decorated with a delicate wreath of holly leaves, cones and berries.
Cake and decoration:
20 x 25cm (8 x 10in) scalloped, oral fruit cake
28x33cm(11 x 13in)scalloped. oval cake board
1.5kg (3lb) marzipan (almond icing)
2kg (4lb) sugarpase (rolled fondant)
Small quantity of royal icing
Edible glue
Green. gold and red ribbons 18 large and red ribbons
holly leaves
6 silk or sugar fir cones
24 silk or sugar holly berries
60g (2oz) modelling paste
Red. green and gold food colourings
Equipment:
Scriber
Paintbrushes
Small star cutter
Set of ring cutters
Frilling tool
Piping bags (cones)
2 no.0 plain piping tubes (Tips)
Method:
1. Marzipan (almond ice) the cake, then cover the cake and board with sugarpaste (rolled fondant). Allow to dry for at least 3 days. Secure the cake to the board with royal icing.
2. Scribe a line around the sides of the cake 2.5cm (1 in)up from the base and, using edible glue, attack a length of green ribbon along this line. Attach another lenth, 1 cm (1/2in) above the first. Secure the gold ribbon around the base of the cake. Trim the board with the red and green ribbons.
3. At regular intervals around the cake, just above the green ribbons, attach the large holly leaves with icing. Attach the small leaves, cones and berries. Reserve three leaves and three berries.
4. To make the stars, roll out some modelling paste and cut out 30 small stars. Leave eight to dry and attach the rest with edible glue to the board. Paint the eight stars gold.
5. To make the trees, roll out more modelling paste and cut two 10 cm (4in) crcles and one 7.5 cm (3in) circle with ring cutters. Cut a 4cm (1 1/2 in) centre in each circle. With a frilling tool, soften around the outer edge. Cut through the frill to form a strip. Fold one end under. Repeat, working from side to side until you get a fluted cone. Once dry, attach to the top of the cake with royal icing. Colour some royal icing red and green and fill two bags (cones) fitted with no.0 tubes (tips). Pipe green dots around the edges of the frills and fill with red dots.
6. Attach the reserved holly leaves and berries to other side of the top of the cake, and the gold stars above the trees. Make small rectangles from modelling paste and use to form the tree trunks.
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| Christmas tree cake |
